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Kimberly Wilson dispenses advice to women seeking to achieve a centered yet vibrant life with her popular podcasts, Web site, and now with her book, "Hip Tranquil Chic."

Wilson, who has a Master's Degree in Women's Studies, and is a self-described yogini and bibliophile, combines a love for culture and finesse with the gentle practice of yoga to help women find their core and create a harmonious lifestyle. Her honeyed voice and calm demeanor come through in print as an elegant voice encouraging women of all ages to strive for the best personally and professionally and maintain an attitude of calm, even when life becomes turbulent. The book includes chapters on personal practice, creating a signature style, refining relationships, and awakening a "savvy social conscious."

Read more about Hip Tranquil Chick: A Guide to Life On and Off the Yoga Mat at Amazon.com

Hip Tranquil Chick: A Guide to Life On and Off the Yoga Mat

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Berg writes for Every Woman, penning chic lit at its best. Her latest, The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted, is a collection of short stories. The first in the collection, and the one for which the collection is named, describes the rather surprising reaction of a woman after a visit to her Weight Watchers group. Fed up with the endless cycle of dieting and the never-ending series of support groups meant to help achieve that elusive svelte body, the heroine diverts from her calorically restrictive path and begins a binge that would make a sumo wrestler proud. Freed from the shackles of fake sugar and fat free rules, Berg's character thinks outside the (donut!) box for one day indulging in whatever strikes her fancy. Perhaps only a fictional character can indulge in such a tremendous variety of fat and sugar-laden foods without experiencing serious sugar shock, but the reader can vicariously taste the fun -- minus the guilt and the calories!

The rest of the collection is similarly interesting to half the population with women of all ages throwing off the confines of convention, even if just for a day.

Read more about The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted: And Other Small Acts of Liberation at Amazon.com

The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted: And Other Small Acts of Liberation

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Current events are the backdrop for this suspenseful novel of political intrigue. A ghostwriter hired to pen the memoirs of Adam Lang (a thinly-disguised fictional version of Tony Blair) finds he has bitten off much more than he can chew. The "ghost" almost turns down the assignment because of the insanely early deadline required for publication, but accepts for the exceptional monetary gain he's certain to receive. Later, he discovers that the first ghostwriter hired for the assignment may not have have accidentally drowned as had been reported, but may have been murdered ... and if he continues to follow in the first ghost's footsteps, he may also wash ashore as a bloated corpse on a cold, barren stretch of Martha's Vineyard beach.

Harris makes no effort to disguise his personal opinion regarding the war on terror in this novel, and he certainly casts the British Prime Minister, (as well as Mrs. Blair), in a very unfavorable light -- including with  some rather wild poetic liberties -- but "The Ghost" manages to stand on its own merit as a well-written, captivating work of fiction.

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The Ghost: A Novel

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When I want something fun, with no serious plot lines  and no heavy thoughts (just heavy petting), authors Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jennifer Cruise and Janet Evanovich are my go to girls. These authors bring funny, quirky characters to life for a rollicking good time!

I recently listened to Anna Fields read Phillips’ Natural Born Charmer. Fields has just the right voice for protagonist, Blue Bailey, a down on her luck lady whose ex-boyfriend took all her money.

When the story begins Dean Robillard, a pro football player who is free for the summer due to a shoulder injury, finds our Miss Blue walking down the road in a beaver costume. She has just quit the only job she could find and she is in no mood for jokes from a handsome man in an expensive sports car.

Thus begins the sparing and hilarious banter between two people who perhaps on any other day might not have given each other a second glance. Dean is an insanely handsome, rich, famous man and Blue is not the super model that his kind of man is used to having around. She’s plucky, average looking, smart , smart mouthed and talented. And she could use a job, a place to live and her life back on track.

Both characters have been hurt in their lives and can’t trust anyone enough to form a lasting relationship - - well, until the teary but heartening end. There are laugh out loud lines in this one and enough sexual tension to keep a small town in electricity.

 

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Natural Born Charmer

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Jennifer Cruise’s latest is co-authored by Bob Mayer and is called, Agnes and the Hitman. This is Cruise’s second collaboration with Mayer who previously wrote espionage thrillers for men. The first book they wrote together is Don’t Look Down.

In Agnes and the Hitman we have Agnes, an aspiring chef who is trying to hold on to her farmhouse against all odds. She has had several attempts on her life as well. There are 5 million dollars missing that might be in the farmhouse basement along with several dead bodies. Shane, the handsome hit man, has been asked by his uncle, an ex-mob gangster, to watch and protect Agnes. And that’s not easy because Agnes is cranky! She is trying to prepare a wedding that will get her business off the ground, she’s feeding lots of people who show up for breakfast (some of whom stay), she has loud squawking flamingoes, dead bodies and someone trying to kill her. Who wouldn’t be cranky?! This book is whacky good fun!

Warning: If you do not like explicit sex scenes or the F- bomb- these books may not be for you.

 

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Agnes and the Hitman

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Along these same lines is queen of fun reading- Janet Evanovich. If you are a fan you can stop reading. If however, you have somehow missed this author you better listen up. These books are zany, silly, funny, outrageous, unreal, and totally entertaining.

Stephanie Plum, our heroine, is a bail bondsman- not a good one- but who cares?? She’s independent, witty, usually solves the crimes by book’s end and has not one, but two hunky guys who love her. The two hunky guys give her not only the room to live out her zany exploits but they seem mostly okay with her being attracted to the other man! You gotta love that scenario. Stephanie often teams up with her sidekick, Lula. Lula, a reformed “ho”, is fearless and gutsy unless something scary is going on. Or if she is carrying her giant handgun – she might stick around if she can shoot someone.

The hunky guys are: Ranger – the dark, mysterious, handsome guardian of the night with his own night moves. And he smells good. Then there’s Joe Morelli- the handsome cop. He’s very sexy and the responsible “safe” guy who would really like to marry Stephanie if she was inclined to wed. But she’s not . She is having way too much fun solving weird crimes and flirting with Ranger, all of which is just fine with the reader because we can’t get enough of Ranger and the crazy exploits either.

Evanovich’s books are in numerical order and start with One for the Money. Her latest is Fearless Fourteen, due out in June. If you don’t want to read all fourteen books I’d start with number seven or so- you can watch Evanovich get better with each title.

Have fun!

Read more about Plum Lucky (A Between-the-Numbers Novel) at Amazon.com

Plum Lucky (A Between-the-Numbers Novel)

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Plum Lovin' (A Between-the-Numbers Novel)

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Read more about Lean Mean Thirteen (Stephanie Plum, No. 13) at Amazon.com

Lean Mean Thirteen (Stephanie Plum, No. 13)

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